Internal combustion engine lubrication means

ABSTRACT

A lubrication system for small high-speed internal combustion engines including a crankshaft and an oil reservoir. Wick feed is used to convey oil to a grooved rotor picking up the oil and discharging it by centrifugal force through passages leading to lubrication points.

United States Patent 11 1 3,613,833

[72] Inventor Leopold W. Llewellyn [56] References Cit d Burnaby,British Columbia, Canada UNITED STATES PATENTS Q12; 333 2 1,262,7984/1918 l-luebotter 184/11 1 1 y 1,437,927 12 1922 Brockway 1114 11 [451Patented 1 440 094 12/1922 M erm 1114/11 [73] Assignee Kal-PacEngineering Ltd. 1 on 2,308,513 1/1943 loanmlh 184/11 Vancouver, BritishColumbia, Canada 1' 2,583,583 1/1952 Mangan 184/6 X [32] 1968 1 2 708985 5/1955 Evans etal 184/11 [33] Great Brim [31] 35213/68 FOREIGNPATENTS 926,644 5/1963 Great Britain 184/1 1 54 INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINE LUBRICATION Examiner-Manuel Amonakas MEANS Att0mey-Lyle G. Trorey5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 184/6 N,

184/1 1 R, 123/ 196 R ABSTRACT: A lubrication system for smallhigh-speed inter- [51] Int. Cl F0lm 9/06, nal combustion enginesincluding a crankshaft and an oil F16n 7/36 reservoir. Wick feed is usedto convey oil to a grooved rotor [50] Field of Search 184/6 N, pickingup the oil and discharging it by centrifugal force 1 1, 11 B; 123/196through passages leading to lubrication points.

PATENTEDum 19 mm SHEET 1 [IF 3 Inventor Lyle G. Trorey,

Leopold w. Llewellyn,

Agent:

PATENTEnum 19 IBTI 3.813.833 sum 3 ur a Leopold W. Llewellyn,

In -ntor e Trorcy,

Lyl

Agent INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE LUBRICATION MEA S FIELD OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to lubrication means for internalcombustion engines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,134, entitled InternalCombustion Engine issued to the present inventor 4 July 1967. Thisengine is characterized by a double-ended power piston assembly in apower cylinder joumaled directly on a crankpin of a crankshaft, thusavoiding the use of connecting rods. The crankshaft ends are journaledin a reciprocating charging piston assembly in a charging cylinder, andan axis of the charging piston cylinder is mutually perpendicular to,and intersects, an axis of the power cylinder. Provision is made forpassage of the power piston assembly through the charging pistonassembly, the latter assembly having two power pistons interconnected byspaced slide blocks which oscillate in spaced guides integral with acrankcase assembly.

Commonly, lubrication of small two-stroke engines is accomplished bymixing oil with fuel and, notwithstanding known disadvantages,lubrication as above is widespread possibly because of its extremesimplicity. This lubrication can be employed in the engine of the patentabove. The present invention is directed to positive lubrication meansthus avoiding disadvantages of lubrication by oil mixed with the fuel.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION The lubrication means of the instant inventionis adapted for use with an internal combustion engine according to U.S.Pat. No. 3,329,134 above, a detailed description following being of thelubrication means applied to that engine.

The invention provides lubrication means having structure includingelements as follows in combination.

An oil reservoir containing a supply of lubricating oilthere can be oneor more such reservoirs.

A rotor driven by a crankshaft of the engine. The rotor distributes oilby centrifugal force through discharge passages distributing oil topoints requiring lubrication. In a very high speed version of theinstant engine, obvious reduction gearing can be provided to drive therotor at reduced speed. Rotor speed of one or two thousand rpm. isadequate for effective centrifugal discharge. Particular mechanism forrotating the rotor is not important, it could in fact be rotated byexternal means. For practical reasons, drive by the crankshaft with orwithout speed reduction gearing is contemplated.

Means are provided for oil from the reservoir to be conveyed to therotor. A wick feed is contemplated this being largely although notentirely independent of gravity, Le. a wick will feed uphill so thatsuch feed is effective regardless of the attitude of the engine.

A detail description following exemplifies such lubrication of theengine aforesaid-the invention not being restricted to use with thisparticular engine and, whether used in the said engine or in otherengines, being capable of expression in structure other than thatparticularly described and illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan of one rotorof an oil distribution means of the invention applied to an engineaccording to U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,134, also showing an end of thecrankshaft and an oil metering system,

FIG. 2 is an elevation of FIG. I seen from 2-2 FIG. 1,

FIG. 2-A is a fragmented detail section on line A-A FIG. 2,

FIG. 2-B is a fragmented section on B-B of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a simplified fragmented plan of a crankcase of the engine withthe rotor removed, looking in the same direction as in FIG. 1, andillustrating oil distribution,

FIG. 4 is a schematic section on 4-4 of FIG. 3 hatching being omitted; aportion of the figure above line X-X shows passages supplying oil toslide block guides and power cylinders, and a portion below line X'-Xshows passages supplying oil to the charge cylinders; the rotor beingremoved.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGS. 1 THROUGH 2-B An oil supply means has a rotor 78joumaled eccentrically on a crankshaft extension 78.1. The eccentricityis defined by the distance between an axis of rotation R of the rotorand an axial center E of the extension 78.1. As the crankshaft issymmetrical about a plane radially through a midpoint of the crankpin,only one end of the crankshaft is considered in the followingdescription. As shown, the rotor has strengthening webs 79 extending toa rim 82. The rim is concentric with and rotates within a space 81defined by a peripheral wall 81.1 of a body portion 65 of the engine,the wall being separated from the rotor by a clearance 83, FIG. 2-A.

An outer peripheral wall of the rim 82 has a tapered groove 84 (FIG. 2)V-shaped in section and defined by walls 84.] FIG. 2-B. The grooveextends circumferentially for about a quarter of the rim as shown, andlies between edges 85 and 86 (FIG. 2) of the rim in a plane N, normal tothe axis R. The groove has a depth, designated G in FIG. 2-A progressingfrom zero depth at a shallow end 87 FIG. 1 uniformly to a depth of about0.05 inch at a terminating end wall 88 as indicated in broken outline inFIG. 1.

The groove has a width W (FIG. 2) at the end wall 88 of aboutone-sixteenth of an inch, and tapers uniformly to about onethirty-second of an inch the shallow end 87. Disposed around the wall81.1 are a number of small peripherally spaced discharge passages, inthis instance eight severally designated 89. The passages extendradially outwards and in the plane N. Thus the groove and the passages89 are in register as shown in FIG. 2-B as the rim rotates.

Two other small holes are drilled in the wall 81.1, these also beingcontained in the plane N, and forming oil supply passages diametricallyopposite from each other designated 90 and 91, each being of such sizeas to act as a capillary for a wick feed 92. The supply passages 90, 91,are also in register with the groove as the rim rotates, and are spacedbetween adjacent discharge passages as seen in FIG. 1.

WICK FEED, FIGS. 1 and 3 Wick feeds 92 and 92-U extend respectively to alower reservoir 93.1 and an upper reservoir 93.1-U. The wick-feeds usefiber wick, to give a continuous-flow low-rate oil supply from the oilreservoirs. The reservoirs can be interconnected as is later explained.

The passages 89 extend radially through the wall 81.1 each communicatingwith a space as shown in FIGS. 2-A and B. These spaces 94 are parts ofan oil distribution system which utilizes passages drilled in thecrankcase through to the cylinders, to distribute oil to lubricate thecylinder walls.

The rim thus rotates in close spaced relationship to the wall 81.1,being spaced by the clearance 83 suitably a few thousandths of an inchaccording to the viscosity of the oil. The clearance is such that theoil is picked up in the groove 84 and discharged by centrifugal force tothe passages 89. The rotor thus provides means for distributing the oilthrough the passages. As before stated, rotor speed of one or twothousand rpm. is adequate, and obvious reduction gearing (not shown) canbe provided.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGS. 3 and 4 In FIGS. 3 and 4 the rotor is removed, andin the following description the axis R is the axis or centerline of theengine (i.e. axis of rotation of the rotor) and each space 94communicates with an oil distribution passage. Oil which is to be fed tothe power cylinder flows through axial passages designated 95 of whichthere are four, and oil to be fed to the charge cylinder axial flowsthrough passages designated 96 of which there are also four.

Because there is a rotor at each end of the crankshaft, and oil is fedsymmetrically inwards axially, one half only of the oil distributionsystem is considered. With reference to FIGS. 4, a portion of the figureabout XX shows routing of oil passages 95 to lubricate the powercylinder 11 and the slide block guides 52, routing of passages 96 tolubricate the charge cylinder 12 is shown below X-X.

To lubricate the power cylinder, a continuation 95.2 of the passage 95breaks out into a power cylinder wall 104 FIG. 4 at 105. The passages95.2 are also connected through passages 106 FIG. 3 to the slide blockguides 52. As shown in FIG. 4, in manufacture a plug 107 blanks offdrill holes used in drilling the axial passages 95.2. The axial passage95.2 is connected to the axial passage 95 by a radial passage 95.1, anouter end of which is similarly plugged.

Axial passages 96 are connected to charge cylinder walls 109 by a shortradial passage 111. The passages 111 break out into the charge cylinderwalls at 112.

SUMMARY Summarizing the lubrication structure, each rotor is associatedwith eight passages 89 making a total of 16 passages collecting oildistributed as follows. Eight passages 89 connect to eight passages 95of which each one lubricates slide block guides and the power cylinders.Thus each power cylinder has four points of lubrication which break outinto the cylinder wall in a position near an upper compression ring ofthe piston when the piston is in a position of bottom dead center. Thepower piston is suitably drilled at a midpoint on its length in order tolubricate a center bearing thereof (not shown). As one slide block ismounted in each pair of guides, each slide block guide has two points oflubrication. At a midpoint on the length of each slide block a passageis drilled to lubricate a bearing centrally located therein (not shown).

Eight passages 89 connect eight passages 96 which break out into thecharge cylinders. Thus each charge cylinder has four points oflubrication that are similarly designed to break out into the chargecylinder wall at a position near a compression ring of the charge pistonwhen the piston is in a position of bottom dead center.

This structure thus distributes oil through walls of fixed members tosurfaces of the fixed member and of elements e.g. a piston or a slideblock moving relatively thereto.

As shown in FIG. 3, there is an upper reservoir 93.1-U and a lowerreservoir 93.1. Capillary action of the wicks causes oil to enter bothoil supply passages 90 and 91. Oil entering the passage 90 does so bycapillary action of the wick, oil entering the passage 91 flows bycapillary action also, but this flow is augmented by gravity feed fromthe upper reservoir. It is seen that there will be feed regardless ofthe attitude of the engine with two diametrically opposed reservoirs asshown. The two reservoirs are interconnected by tubes 115 hence, whilethe actions above still take place, these interconnecting means 115maintain and equalize oil flow in different attitudes of the engine.

OPERATION In operation, see FIG. 1, the rotor revolves in a directionshown by an arrow 118, driven by rotation of the crankshaft extension 34about the axis R as shown by an arrow 119.

Depending on attitude of the engine and depth to which the oil tanks arefilled, both of the passages and 91 feed oil into the rotor groove bycapillarity, and with the rotor revolving, each time the groove 84traverses a passage 90 or 91, oil is trapped near the end wall 88. Thetrapped oil, because of the tapering of the groove, will be sweptpartially around the walls 81.1, to be discharged by centrifugal forceto enter the several discharge passages 89, and then pass into the axialpassages and 96, whence it will flow through the passages aforesaid.

The viscosity of the oil is as required by the particular motor andoperating condition according to known practice. Optimum feed for theparticular viscosity is attained with proper selection of designparameters including capillary characteristic of the wick and passagediameter.

What I claim is:

1. Means for lubrication of moving parts of an internal combustionengine having a rotation crankshaft, the means including in combination.

a. a reservoir (93.1) containing a supply of lubricating oil.

b. means (78) rotated by the crankshaft for distributing the oil bycentrifugal force through discharge passages (89) in a body portion (65)ofthe engine, the passages opening through a wall of a fixed member ofthe engine distributing oil on surfaces of the fixed member and of anelement moving relative thereto, so as to lubricate the surfaces.

c. and means (92, 92.1) to convey oil from the reservoir to the meansaforesaid for distributing the oil, the means for distributing the oilbeing a rotor including,

i. a rim (82) rotating in closely spaced relationship to a peripheralwall (81.1) of a body portion (65) of the engine and having a taperedgroove (84) extending circumferentially of the rim,

ii. the groove (84) tapering in width and depth from a shallow end (87)to a terminating end wall (88),

iii. the groove being in register, as the rim rotates, with thedischarge passage (89).

2. Structure as defined in claim 1, the means as aforesaid for supplyingoil from the reservoir including,

i. the peripheral wall (81.1) of the body portion having a hole formingan oil supply passage (90) walls of the hole defining a bore also inregister with the groove as the rim rotates,

ii. a wick feed having a wick (92.1) supplying the oil from thereservoir to the groove of the rim of the rotor; the oil being suppliedto the supply passage.

3. Structure as defined in claim 2, having two diametrically opposedreservoirs (FIG. 1).

4. Structure as defined in claim 3, the supply passage having acapillary bore.

5. Structure as defined in claim 4, and means interconnecting thereservoirs for maintaining and equalizing oil flow in differentattitudes of the engine.

1. Means for lubrication of moving parts of an internal combustionengine having a rotation crankshaft, the means including in combination.a. a reservoir (93.1) containing a supply of lubricating oil. b. means(78) rotated by the crankshaft for distributing the oil by centrifugalforce through discharge passages (89) in a body portion (65) of theengine, the passages opening through a wall of a fixed member of theengine distributing oil on surfaces of the fixed member and of anelement moving relative thereto, so as to lubricate the surfaces. c. andmeans (92, 92.1) to convey oil from the reservoir to the means aforesaidfor distributing the oil, the means for distributing the oil being arotor including, i. a rim (82) rotating in closely spaced relationshipto a peripheral wall (81.1) of a body portion (65) of the engine andhaving a tapered groove (84) extending circumferentially of the rim, ii.the groove (84) tapering in width and depth from a shallow end (87) to aterminating end wall (88), iii. the groove being in register, as the rimrotates, with the discharge passage (89).
 2. Structure as defined inclaim 1, the means as aforesaid for supplying oil from the reservoirincluding, i. the peripheral wall (81.1) of the body portion having ahole forming an oil supply passage (90) walls of the hole defining abore also in register with the groove as the rim rotates, ii. a wickfeed having a wick (92.1) supplying the oil from the reservoir to thegroove of the rim of the rotor; the oil being supplied to the supplypassage.
 3. Structure as defined in claim 2, having two diametricallyopposed reservoirs (FIG. 1).
 4. Structure as defined in claim 3, thesupply passage having a capillary bore.
 5. Structure as defined in claim4, and means (115), interconnecting the reservoirs for maintaining andequalizing oil flow in different attitudes of the engine.